eWASH

Experts are of the opinion commitment shown by the Federal Government to build up the nation’s proven reserve through the exploration of new frontiers for oil and gas production remains a step in the right direction.

However, with the New Frontier Exploration Services Division, an arm of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, commencing preliminary work on seismic data acquisition and processing for exploration in the Chad Basin and other areas classified as frontier inland sedimentary basins, Nigerians are receiving the news with mixed feelings.

The search for oil in the Chad Basin has been on and off for many decades, but now, the exercise has been pegged on a corporate belief that available technologies may now yield results where previous exploratory efforts failed.

Determined to ensure that the latest quest for sustainable oil find in the basin is met with success, the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, recently directed the NNPC to leave no stone unturned in its push to strike black gold in the area.

Alison-Madueke was quoted as saying, “Though it is too early to be categorical, there is a possibility that we may find oil in commercial quantity in the Chad Basin because of the discoveries of commercial hydrocarbon deposits in neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Sudan, which have similar structural settings with the Chad Basin. Therefore, it is prudent to aggressively explore the Chad Basin for possible hydrocarbon deposits.”

Discoveries made in neighbouring countries in basins with similar structural settings included Doba, Doseo and Bongor, all in Chad, with over two billion barrels; Logone Birni in southern Chad and northern Cameroun with over 100 billion barrels; and Termit-Agadem Basin in Niger, with a total of one billion barrels.

Already, the NFESD is acquiring 3,550 square kilometres of 3-D seismic data for processing and interpretation, in addition to the 6,000km of 2-D data that it acquired earlier and is currently being reprocessed.

Some experts in the oil and gas sector have maintained that there is a huge variance in the make-up and synclines of the Chad Basin and the Niger Delta region, and that any move to rummage around for oil in the area, should be critically scrutinised and certified as being necessary.

This is against the backdrop of insinuations that the search may be to satisfy the urge of some people at the expense of the nation, or to create cost centres that are absolutely unnecessary.

On account of the North not yet spotted as an ‘oil domain’, some experts have maintained that the Chad Basin is only five kilometres, compared to the Niger Delta, which has a 12-kilometre basin, maintaining that the deeper the basin, the more the likelihood that it will contain oil reserve and natural gas.

The syncline of the Chad Basin, according to them, is high, while that of the Niger Delta is low, maintaining that the features show that the geology of the Niger Delta is different from the North and so, the difference in the geological age and activities of the two basins.

But the Federal Government, in spite of the odds against the exercise, noted that it was absolutely determined to make more commitment, both financial and manpower resources, to the exploration activities in the location, a stand that some said could not be far from political motivation.

However, the former Vice- President, Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists, Mr. Biodun Adesanya, says that geologically, it is justified to explore a basin like the Chad in search of black gold, adding that the search should be extended to sedimentary basins like the Benue, Anambra and Dahomey.

According to him, the Chad Basin has over the years enjoyed huge attention from government and oil companies, which had resulted in high level activities, including human and financial resources. Because the project is in its infancy, he says government should pioneer the search, while data acquired can be sold to the private sector in due course to recoup the investment made.

Adesanya says the present phase of exploration in the basin has seen government demanding for previous data analyses, especially as it concerns the Chad. This, he explains, may produce better results as the budget for the project comes from the Presidency, while the technocrats involved are from the NNPC.

Adesanya, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Bageconek Nigeria Limited, a geoscience consulting firm, points out that in order to make the entire project result-oriented, there should be strict focus on cost control and anti-corruption measures, recalling how unwieldy expenditure and corruption have many government projects.

In order to make remarkable progress in the exercise, the former NAPE boss says that due processes should be followed in the selection of personnel, ”and there must be a honest contracting procedure so that the right prices are quoted for the right jobs.”

He says, “These measures should reduce wastage and ensure that only places requiring special projects are attended to.”

Another geoscientist and Managing Director, Danvic Concepts International Limited, Mr. Afe Mayowa, maintains that even in the Niger Delta, there are areas where oil was initially not found, but with the use of superior technologies for the same locations, oil was later discovered.

For the Chad Basin, he says government needs some level of patience to adequately explore all possible avenues since hydrocarbon had been discovered in Chad, Niger and Cameroon, which are the three geological boundaries of the basin.

According to him, professionalism should be strictly adhered to in the quest for oil in the Chad Basin considering the fact that past research recommendations from the basin advocated the need for more studies and probe.

“A lot of money had gone down the drain as a result of the failed oil exploration projects. Since we have not found oil in the Chad Basin yet in commercial quantity, government should be very prudent. Let everybody do their own work. Professionalism is key here since we are still exploring,” Mayowa stresses.

President Goodluck Jonathan has told the gathering of  World leaders at te G8 summit that the Nigeria is now stable and ready to play a leading role in global affairs.

Jonathan who was in Canada as one of seven African leaders invited for an outreach session between G-8 leaders and African heads of state, spoke on the sideline of the summit in an interview with the The Globe and Mail newspaper of Canada.

The President said the recent transfer of power in the country – after a constitutional crisis – “to a man from a different language and religious background,” was proof that Nigeria is stable.

“That should tell the world that politically, Nigeria is stable. From 1999, when the last military head of state handed over to the civilian government, Nigeria has been stable.

“Nigeria is struggling. Every country has issues. If the purpose of these multilateral organisations is to improve the quality of life of society generally, then of course Nigeria is a good candidate for it,” Jonathan said.

Speaking on the new G-20 economic block just formed, which has brought more of the world into the club that steers global economic policies, Jonathan said the emerging group must better represent Africa.

He argued that the G-20 would need greater representation from the continent if it wants to chart a better common course for the global economy.

Africa, a continent of about one billion people, has only one G-20 representative: South Africa.

“It’s not just an issue of fairness but common interest. Just as the old G8 club needs to expand to include rising economic powers, the new G-20 must find a place to encourage the next wave of markets they will need in Africa.”
“Africa should be well represented in the G-20 because we are talking about the global village. What affects one nation invariably affects the others. If African nations have challenges, the West also pays for it,” the president argued.

He continued: “Africa should have a place in the G-20 to press policies that will help it produce, rather than have it beg for assistance. And other nations should see Africa’s potential for their economies.

“For the developed side to develop, they need the developing countries. If you manufacture and there’s nobody to buy, you cannot sell. Nigeria has over 150 million people. So, even for economic reasons, you need to encourage them.”

Jonathan also urged G-8 leaders to deliver on their pledges to Africa such as the one made in Scotland in 2005 to double aid to Africa: “They promised $25-billion, but so far just about $11 billion has been given. And that’s one of the areas we can mention to them – if they can give this. Canada has done very well. They have met their commitment. But others have not.”

He said African countries were invited to the G-8 summit out of recognition that they needed to be encouraged, “and a substantive place in the G-20 will give them a chance to press that case in wider economic talks, such as liberalising trade rules to reduce barriers that discourage African agricultural exports.

“As long as we are not encouraged to export our produce, then we will continue to be begging,” he said.
Jonathan also denounced the dumping of small arms and light weapons in Africa by developed countries, calling it one of the major causes of underdevelopment in the continent.

Jonathan, who is scheduled to speak to the G-8 summit on its Millennium Development Goals, told journalists he would raise his concerns with world leaders, calling arms proliferation “one of the things that disturb me most.”
“The excessive dumping of small arms and light weapons in Africa is one of the major factors that retard the economic growth of the continent.

“I have said it severally that we don’t manufacture these small arms and light weapons. They are manufactured by the developed societies but dumped in Africa and they have become a major source of our own underdevelopment,” Jonathan said.
He said the “excessive and free use of small arms and light weapons” had become so prevalent in southern Nigeria that the commercial city of Aba in Abia State was almost closed down for weeks without economic activities.

“That tells you that in a place where you don’t have peace, you can’t have economic activities that can stimulate wealth creation,” Jonathan said.

He linked the spread of such weapons to political instability as well.

“That is why you see a lot of military organisations struggling to topple governments in Africa. Where the governments are relatively stable, they use them (weapons) for criminal activities like piracy, trans-border crimes, armed robberies, and causing general insecurity, and even kidnappings.

“If these things are allowed to continue, then of course, economic development of the African continent will continue to recede instead of advancing,” Jonathan said.

The  Federal Government has lamented that developing nations including Nigeria have not been able to access the $30 billion  financial pledges made by the industrialised nations towards tackling the problem of Climate Change .

Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, gave this suggestion at the weekend when he met with United States officials led by the Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, Dr. Jonathan Pershing, at  the 13th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment holding in Bamako, Mali.

The minister in a statement by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Rotimi Ajayi, said the facilitating  access to the climate funds by the vulnerable nations would further enhance the integrity of international collaborations and negotiations on Climate Change.

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